


International Arrival

by crescentmoon223



Category: Sex Education (TV), The X-Files
Genre: Delivering a Baby, Fluff, Gen, On a train!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:54:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24646744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescentmoon223/pseuds/crescentmoon223
Summary: A special delivery is on the way when Jean Milburn goes into labor in a tunnel under the English Channel, and Dana Scully is the only medical doctor on board the train to deliver the baby…
Comments: 26
Kudos: 86





	International Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> _Anonymous asked: Would you ever write a fic where instead of giving birth herself for a change, Scully delivers someone else’s baby herself? Bonus points if it’s Stella’s or Jeans baby she delivers 😉_
> 
> As a matter of fact, I would! Thanks so much for the fun prompt! xx

“Attention, ladies and gentlemen, if there are any medical professionals on board, please see the conductor immediately.”

The announcement crackled over the PA system, and Scully looked up from her Kindle. She frowned, momentary irritation at having her trip interrupted giving way to concern for whatever medical emergency had happened on board the train. This wasn’t the first time she’d been called on to help in such a situation, and it wouldn’t be the last. Quickly, she shoved the Kindle into her bag and stowed it in the overhead bin.

She stood, spotting a man in a crisp EuroStar uniform striding down the aisle. She lifted a hand to catch his attention. “Excuse me. I’m a medical doctor.”

“Oh, excellent.” He stopped in front of her, his mouth pinched in a frown.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“We have a lady in labor two cars down. Due to international regulations, we can’t stop the train until we’ve reached English soil, which will be about forty-five minutes. We’re just about to enter the tunnel that runs under the channel. I doubt the baby will come that quickly, but we thought it would be wise to have a medical professional check her out, if possible.”

Scully relaxed, nodding. A baby on the way, she could definitely handle. “Absolutely. Lead the way.”

“Thank you,” he said with a brisk nod before sliding open the door that led to the next train car.

Scully followed, swaying from side to side as the train sped over the tracks toward the United Kingdom. Outside the window, the French countryside had given way to a tall, chain-link fence as they approached the entrance to the tunnel. The conductor led her through a second car, and as he pushed open the next door, she knew immediately that they’d reached their destination. A small crowd of concerned passengers was clustered around someone in a row midway through the car.

“Excuse me,” the conductor called as he led Scully down the aisle. “Make way, please.”

The passengers in the aisle scrambled to the side to allow them to pass, revealing a woman in her mid-forties with short, blonde hair. She wore a loose, turquoise dress, one hand pressed against her rounded abdomen, the other gripping the arm rest beside her. She looked up at Scully and the conductor, her eyes wild with panic.

Scully blinked. Somehow, she’d been expecting a much younger woman, which was silly of her to have assumed. “Hi, I’m Dana. I’m a medical doctor.”

“Jean,” the woman said breathlessly. “Jean Milburn. Also a doctor, although not of the medical variety.”

“PhD?” Scully asked, trying to establish a rapport and also to calm Jean down, because she looked dangerously close to hyperventilating, if her rapid breathing and wide, unfocused eyes were any indication.

Jean nodded. “I’m a sex and relationship therapist. Oh…shit. Fuck. Bloody hell.” She hunched forward, swearing a blue streak as her next contraction began.

Scully turned to the conductor. “I need you to get all these people back to their seats, and then bring me a first aid kit, if you have one on board. Also, if you could arrange someplace more private for Jean to sit where I could examine her, that would be very helpful.”

“Give me a few minutes, and I’ll see what I can do,” he agreed with a nod before turning to usher the passengers clustered around them into their seats.

Scully sat in the empty seat beside Jean, resting a hand over Jean’s where she held the arm rest in a white knuckled grip. “That’s it, Jean. Slow, deep breaths. In and out. That’s good. You’re doing great.”

Jean gasped and swore, panting through the pain. Finally, she slumped in her seat, sucking in ragged breaths as the contraction passed. “Get me out of here,” she muttered, turning her head away from the faces peering in their direction from nearby seats.

“I’m working on it,” Scully told her. “How frequent are your contractions?”

Jean tapped the screen of her cell phone and handed it to Scully. “I’ve been tracking them with an app.”

“That’s good thinking.” Scully took the phone and scrolled through the app’s history, noting that Jean’s contractions had begun almost two hours ago and progressed rapidly. The most recent were only five minutes apart. Scully exhaled slowly. She might actually have to deliver a baby on this train.

Jean gripped her hand, giving Scully a frantic look. “I’m not due until next month. I thought…my doctor said it should be fine. I’m not prepared.”

“Are we ever truly prepared for childbirth?” Scully said with a smile, squeezing Jean’s hand. “Is this your first?”

She shook her head. “I have a son, Otis. He’s sixteen.”

“Second babies are sometimes quicker,” Scully said, grateful when she saw the conductor making his way down the aisle toward them. “Are you traveling alone today, Jean?”

“My boyfriend is meeting me in London,” she said. “We’ve just returned from visiting his family in Sweden.”

“Ah,” Scully said, turning toward the conductor.

“If you’ll follow me,” he said, gesturing for them to stand. “We’ve cleared the last car for you.”

“Oh, perfect,” Scully said. “Thank you.”

“What’s that?” Jean asked, one hand rubbing back and forth over her abdomen as she sucked in ragged breaths.

“I asked them to find us somewhere more private, and they’ve cleared a car for us. Let’s try to get you there before your next contraction,” Scully told her.

“Oh God, please.” Jean’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I can’t take these people staring at me.”

“I totally understand.” Scully took her hand to help her stand, stepping behind Jean so that she was between Scully and the conductor in the aisle. This way, Scully could help steady her if needed and also protect her from nosy passengers. Slowly, they made their way down the aisle and into the next car. Jean walked with one hand on her stomach, the other bracing against each seat that she passed.

Three cars into their journey, she stopped in her tracks, letting out a sharp cry as she slumped against the nearest seat.

“Breathe, Jean,” Scully said as she tapped the app on Jean’s phone to begin timing the contraction. “Nice and slow. That’s it.”

“Fuck _me_ ,” Jean moaned, swaying on her feet.

Scully took Jean’s arm as the conductor stepped in on her other side, both of them steadying Jean as she breathed through the contraction. All around them, concerned passengers stared over seat backs. Scully had seen Jean’s panic, her embarrassment, and she hated that they hadn’t been able to get her to the privacy of an empty car before her next contraction.

“Oh no,” Jean gasped, looking down.

Scully followed her gaze. The black rubber flooring between her feet was wet. Jean’s water had broken.

The conductor’s eyes widened, and he grabbed for the phone at his hip, requesting assistance to clean the aisle. When the contraction ended, they began their forward march again, Jean breathing heavily in front of Scully as she walked.

Finally, they arrived at the empty car, where two other conductors stood waiting with blankets, pillows, and a variety of medical supplies. “Thank you,” Scully told them gratefully. “If you don’t mind giving us some privacy, I’d like to examine her now.”

They nodded and left.

“Goddammit,” Jean moaned, leaning against a nearby seat. “I was supposed to be in the hospital for this. I need a fucking epidural.”

“I know,” Scully told her sympathetically as she moved to the seats in the center of the car that faced each other, offering extra leg room. She spread a blanket over one of them. “Can you sit here so I can have a look at you?”

Jean nodded, lowering herself into the seat while Scully rummaged through the first aid kit the crew had left her until she found a box of gloves. She put on a pair while Jean wiggled out of her underwear.

Scully reclined the seat as far as it would go. “Can you scoot forward for me, Jean? Right to the edge of the seat.”

Jean complied, misery etched into the lines of her face, but she looked calmer now, less panicked than she’d been when Scully first found her at the center of that crowd of passengers. “Have you delivered a baby before, Dana?”

“I have,” Scully told her. “I’ve delivered several, although it’s been a while, I’m afraid.”

“What kind of doctor are you?”

“You’re going to feel some pressure from my fingers now,” Scully told her as she reached beneath Jean’s dress. “I was a pediatric surgeon until about eight years ago, when I moved into forensic pathology.”

Jean grimaced as Scully felt her cervix. “A forensic pathologist? You perform autopsies?”

“I do, and before that, I was an FBI agent. I’ve had a few careers, but I’ve delivered enough babies to know yours is very close, Jean. You’re about eight centimeters dilated.”

“Fuck,” Jean groaned. “I can’t do this on a train.”

“You might not have to,” Scully told her as she removed her gloves and tugged Jean’s skirt back into place. They were in the tunnel now, endless white tiles passing by outside the windows. “They’re planning to stop the train for you as soon as we make it out of this tunnel.”

“Good. Oh, motherfucker.” Jean’s body stiffened as the next contraction hit. Tears slid over her cheeks, and her jaw clenched.

Scully tapped the app and helped her breathe through it, rubbing gently up and down Jean’s arm until her pain had eased. By the time the contraction ended, Jean was panting for breath, sweat glistening on her brow.

“How do you feel?” Scully asked. “Would you like some water? You can walk around if it helps.”

“I, ah, I really need to pee,” she said quietly, giving Scully a humiliated look.

“Okay.” Scully stood and offered her hands to help Jean to her feet. “Let’s get you to the bathroom before your next contraction hits.”

The train rolled to a stop, and Jean turned to Scully in surprise. “Are we there already?”

Scully frowned. “I don’t think so. We’re still inside the tunnel.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” came the tinny voice over the PA system. “Due to a signal problem ahead, we are experiencing a minor delay. I’ll let you know as soon as we’re able to get underway.”

“Fuck,” Jean gasped, gripping Scully’s hands as the panic returned to her eyes. “We don’t have time for a delay.”

“Hopefully, it’ll be just a minute,” Scully told her. “In the meantime, it’ll be easier for you to walk around while the train’s not moving.”

She helped Jean in and out of the bathroom at the end of the car and had just gotten her settled back in her seat with a bottle of water to drink when the conductor came through the sliding door behind them.

“Any idea how long we’ll be stopped?” Scully asked him.

“It’s looking like we’ll be here for at least a half an hour,” he told her apologetically. “I know the timing is terrible.”

“Please,” Jean said, her tone pleading. “Isn’t there anything you can do to speed things up? I need to get to the hospital.”

“I know, ma’am,” he told her. “I’m very sorry. I promise you we’re doing everything we can to get you there as quickly as possible. An ambulance will be waiting for you at the station.”

Jean moaned, tensing with another contraction, and the conductor hurried out of the car to give them privacy. Scully sat beside her, talking her through it. When the pain eased, Jean slumped against her, gasping for breath. “I’m scared.”

“I know you are,” Scully said, giving her arm a reassuring pat. “But you’re going to be fine, even if the baby’s born on the train.”

“Jakob will be devastated if he misses the birth,” Jean said, beginning to cry. “I never should have traveled this close to my due date.”

“These things happen. No need to second guess yourself now.”

“You’re American,” Jean commented, her head on Scully’s shoulder.

“Yes,” Scully told her.

“Here on holiday?”

“No, I’ve lived in London about eight years now. I’m on my way home from a forensics seminar in Brussels.”

“You’re very calming,” Jean said quietly.

“Thanks,” Scully said with a laugh. “I guess that’s part of my job.”

“Oh.” Jean tensed with another contraction, not even two minutes since the last. “Oh _fuck_.” She swore through her tears, gasping and moaning until it had passed. She braced her hands on her knees, giving Scully a wild look. “Dana, I…I feel like I should push.”

“Let me check you again,” Scully told her, putting on another pair of gloves. She crouched in front of Jean to examine her. “Okay, you’re right. You’re fully dilated.”

“No,” Jean said, scooting backward in her seat, hands flailing in front of her face as if to ward Scully off. “No, I’m not having this baby on a train in a tunnel under the English Channel. I am _not_.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t think you have a choice,” Scully said, sitting back on her heels.

“I do. I just won’t push.” Jean crossed her arms over her chest, jaw clenched, a defiant look on her face that contradicted the wild look in her eyes. She was terrified, and Scully couldn’t blame her.

“Jean, I know you’re scared, but there’s no stopping it once the baby is ready to come. There’s also no reason why we can’t deliver a healthy baby on this train. I’ll be right here with you, okay?”

Jean groaned in response.

Scully reached for her hand. “If it’s any consolation, I’ve been in your shoes. My son wasn’t born in a hospital either.”

“He wasn’t?” Jean asked softly.

Scully shook her head. “I gave birth in an abandoned building, of all places. A friend delivered my son, and he was just fine. Your baby will be too.”

“I hope so.” Jean huffed for breath as she was seized with another contraction. She grabbed frantically at the arm rests, gripping tightly as her features twisted in pain.

“Breathe through this one, Jean, so that I can get you set up for delivery, okay? Just breathe.” Scully looked over her shoulder, spotting the conductor hovering just outside the door. “Excuse me!” she called loudly, waving her arms to get his attention.

The door slid open, and he stepped inside. “Yes?”

“I need warm water and towels,” she told him. “As much of both as you can get me, and I need it quickly.”

Behind her, Jean groaned and panted, and the conductor’s eyes went wide. “Yes, ma’am.” He hurried out of the car.

Scully turned to find Jean sitting with her eyes closed, her jaw clenched as she breathed through the pain.

“Okay,” Scully said when the contraction ended. “It’s time to have this baby. Do you want to lie down on the floor, or do you want to stay in the seat?”

“Can I…how can I have a baby in the seat?” She looked down in confusion.

“I can put pillows behind you to scoot you forward to the edge of the seat. It might be more comfortable than lying on the floor, but really, it’s up to you. Whatever sounds most comfortable.”

“I think…I think I want to stay here, then,” Jean said with a quick nod.

“All right.” Scully gathered several of the travel-sized pillows the conductors had piled in a nearby seat, propping them behind Jean until she was positioned the way Scully wanted her. Then she rummaged through the first aid kit and set aside the items she’d need once the baby arrived.

Jean cried out, going rigid in her seat, her face twisted in pain.

“Okay, Jean. It’s time to push. Ready?”

Jean nodded, gripping the arm rests.

“I’m going to count you down from ten, and then you’ll rest, okay? Here we go.”

Jean gritted her teeth and bore down, a guttural sound escaping her lips as she began to push.

Scully lifted her skirt enough to be able to see what she was doing, folding it over Jean’s knees as she began to count. Jean alternately groaned, screamed, and swore as she pushed. “Now breathe,” Scully told her, and Jean threw her head back, panting as she caught her breath. They kept on like that for the duration of the contraction.

Jean had just slumped back in her seat to rest between contractions when three conductors hurried into the car carrying large, insulated jugs of water from the kitchen and a stack of clean towels.

“Thank you,” Scully told them. She lowered Jean’s skirt for privacy as she directed them where to put everything. “This baby is coming in the next few minutes, so if one of you could stay to assist, I’d appreciate it.”

All three men stared at her in apprehension, and then the conductor who’d initially helped her stepped forward. “I’ll assist.”

“Thank you,” Scully told him.

“I’m Martin, by the way.”

“Dana,” she told him. “And this is Jean.”

“Does he have to stay?” Jean asked, squinting up at him through narrowed eyes. “I’d rather not have more people than necessary looking at my vagina, if you don’t mind.”

The conductor’s eyes got even wider, and he gulped.

Scully fought a smile. “He doesn’t have to look, but I might need him to hold the baby while I deliver the placenta, and also, he has a radio to call for help if we need it.”

“All right,” Jean acquiesced, just as she was seized by the next contraction.

“Okay, Jean. It’s time to push again.” Scully glanced over her shoulder at Martin. “You can go have a seat, and I’ll call you when I need you.”

With a nod, he turned his back and hurried toward the other end of the car.

Scully counted Jean down as she pushed, watching as the baby’s head began to crown. “I can see the head, Jean. You’re doing great. Keep pushing.”

Jean screamed, letting fly the most colorful string of swears Scully had ever heard, and she’d heard some pretty creative swearing in her day.

“Fucking botched vasectomy,” Jean growled. “Fucking wanking piece of shit doctor who didn’t do it properly. Oh my God, who let me go through with this? Dana, can’t you _do_ something?”

“I wish I could,” Scully told her with a small laugh. “But unfortunately, you’ve got to do most of the work here.”

“I want an epidural!” Jean screeched as the baby crowned.

“We’re almost there,” Scully told her, resting her hands on Jean’s knees. “Just a few more big pushes, Jean. You’ve got this.”

“I don’t,” Jean panted, her legs shaking beneath Scully’s fingers. “I can’t do this. I need Jakob.” A sob tore from her throat.

“You’ll see him soon, and you’ll have quite the story to tell,” Scully said. “And someone to introduce him to.”

“Fuck,” Jean sobbed. “Bloody fucking hell.”

“Come on, Jean. Here we go. Give me another big push.”

Jean growled as she bore down, and the baby’s head slid into Scully’s waiting hands.

“That’s it, Jean,” she encouraged. “The head is out. Stop pushing for just a minute, okay?” Since she didn’t have a bulb syringe, Scully used a warm, wet cloth to gently clean the baby’s nose and mouth, clearing the airways. “All right. One more big push.”

Jean screamed and swore, and the baby slipped into Scully’s hands, small and red-faced and perfect.

“It’s a girl!” Scully announced, holding the tiny, slippery newborn in her arms.

The baby blinked up at Scully with wide blue eyes for a beautiful moment, and then she scrunched up her face and wailed. The interior of the train car filled with her cries, and Scully grinned as she covered the baby with a towel to keep her warm before placing her on Jean’s chest, nestling her over her mother’s heart.

“Oh,” Jean murmured, as calm now as she’d been wild before. “Oh…hi.” She cradled the baby, tears streaming over her cheeks, her lips curved in a shaky smile.

“Congratulations, Mom,” Scully told her. “She’s perfect.”

The baby gripped one of Jean’s fingers, whimpering softly as she snuggled against her. “She is,” Jean said softly. “She is perfect.”

“Had you and Jakob decided on a name?”

“No,” Jean said. “We had it narrowed down to a few choices, but he wanted to wait until after her arrival to decide.”

Scully sat back for a moment to watch mother and daughter, giving them time to bond. The baby nuzzled her face against the bare skin on Jean’s neck, and Scully leaned in to unbutton the front of Jean’s dress, helping her to free her breast. Within moments, the baby had latched on to nurse.

Jean gazed at her daughter in awestruck adoration, tears coursing over her cheeks, and it was one of the most beautiful things Scully had ever witnessed. She felt so intensely grateful for having gotten to be part of this experience, to help bring Jean’s daughter into the world. After a few minutes, the baby’s eyes drifted shut.

“Mind if I borrow her for a minute?” Scully asked.

Jean carefully bundled the towel around her before handing her to Scully.

Scully wet a cloth with the warm water the conductors had brought and began to wipe her off, uncovering the baby bit by bit as she worked to keep her from getting a chill. She whimpered, letting out a few small cries, but overall she lay peacefully in Scully’s arms. When she’d finished bathing her, Scully clamped and cut the cord before bundling her in a clean, dry towel.

Scully held Jean’s daughter in her arms for a moment, admiring her. The baby, tired out by her dramatic entrance into the world, closed her eyes and slept, looking impossibly peaceful. Scully’s mind flipped back to those chaotic, terrifying minutes after William’s birth, and she was so fiercely thankful that this was nothing like that. The baby clenched her tiny fist around Scully’s pinkie finger, and warmth swelled in her heart. Tears spilled over her cheeks as she looked up at Jean. “You have a very beautiful daughter.”

“A daughter. I still can’t quite believe it.” Jean swiped at her own cheeks. “I gave birth in a fucking tunnel under the English Channel. What country are we in? Does this affect her citizenship?”

“I have no idea,” Scully told her. “But I think it’s safe to say you had an international arrival. I’m going to let Martin hold her for a minute while I examine you, if that’s all right?”

Jean nodded, and Scully stood, carrying the baby to the conductor. He accepted the bundle with a reverent sort of smile on his face. By the time Scully made it back to Jean, her face had contorted in pain.

“I think it’s time for the placenta,” she said, again gripping the arm rests.

“Sounds about right,” Scully said as she crouched in front of Jean. “When you feel the urge to push, go ahead.”

A few short pushes—and swears—later, the placenta had been delivered. Scully massaged Jean’s uterus to help it contract and contain her bleeding. Then she wet another towel with warm water to clean Jean up before placing a fresh, dry towel beneath her. She handed Jean a bottle of water and went to get the baby.

“Good news,” Martin told her. “We’re going to be moving again any minute now.”

“That _is_ good news,” Scully agreed as she gathered the towel-wrapped bundle into her arms. “Thank you.”

Jean looked nearly asleep when Scully returned, but she perked up as Scully handed the baby to her. Sure enough, with a jolt, the train began to move. Jean and her baby rested comfortably while Scully sat across from them.

Fifteen minutes later, the train slid to a stop again, this time at the station. As promised, an ambulance waited, and two EMTs boarded to assess Jean and her baby before loading her onto a stretcher. Scully watched, feeling somewhat bereft at the thought of saying goodbye so suddenly.

“Wait,” Jean called as they began to roll her down the aisle, a hint of something vulnerable in her voice. “Dana…”

“I’m here,” Scully told her, taking her hand. “You did great. It was an honor to help deliver your daughter.”

“I can’t properly thank you for it,” Jean said, her voice gruff. “I know you probably need to get to London, but do you think…would you be able to ride to the hospital with me? Just until Jakob arrives.”

“Of course,” Scully agreed with a smile. “Let me just get my bag.”

“We brought it down for you,” Martin said, retrieving Scully’s bag from an empty seat and handing it to her.

“Thank you,” she told him, and then she followed Jean and her baby into the waiting ambulance.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote, edited, and published this in 24 hours, so my apologies if it's rough. This was my first time writing Jean, and it was a lot of fun. I hope you enjoyed it! xx


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